Basic Information

Origin of name  Matanza was for a place in Cuba thought to have been where some of the Allston slaves may have come from; Chicora Wood from the Chicora Indians that had lived in the area (3, III: 12).

Timeline

John Allston secured a grant for 420 acres on a bluff of the Pee Dee River. Allston would add acreage to the plantation over the years until it totalled 766 (6, p. 335).

1748  John Allston sold 670 acres of the plantation to his son John Allston Jr for £5 (6, p. 335).

Mid 1700s  Jamie Constance shares, "There is very convincing architectural archeology evidence that the smaller wing on the north side was a flanker of a mid 1700s house that burned sometime around 1798. This flanker survived the fire and was attached to the new section which was built before 1809. The brick foundation of the earlier house along with burned embers are still in the ground." (9)

1750  John Allston Sr. died. In his will, son John Allston Jr. would receive his main plantation Turkey Hill Plantation if he transferred ownership of the smaller plantation (Chicora Wood) to brother Josias Allston. Before this transfer could be done, John Allston Jr. too died. Josias inherited Turkey Hill and the other plantation was willed to John Allston Jr.'s children, Martha Allston Young and Eleanor Allston Simons (6, p. 335).

1764  Benjamin and Martha Allston Young sold their share of the plantation to Martha's sister's husband, Peter Simons (6, pp. 335, 336).

1777  Richard Waring sold the property to his brother, John Beamor Waring. John purchased two adjoining tracts the same year to bring the size of the plantation up to 922 acres (6, p. 336).

1779  John Beamor Waring sold the tract to Alexander Rose and John Torrens (6, p. 336).

1780  John Torrens died and his will stipulated the plantation was to be sold. Alexander Rose would purchase this part of the plantation from Torrens' heirs, wife Elizabeth and son William Torrens (6, p. 336).

1782  The US government deemed Alexander Rose loyal to Britain and all his property was confiscated. Rose petitioned that he was not a Tori and was granted his land back after a fine of 12% was levied (6, pp. 336-337).

1784  A plat of the plantation was drawn noting it to be 608 acres at this time and called Mantanza. This plat was mysteriously commissioned by John Holmes who had no ownership in it (6, pp. 336-337).

1864  Robert Francis Withers Allston passed away leaving the plantation to his wife Adele Petigru Allston. Allston had accumulated many plantations by the time of his death but the devastation of the Civil War and heavy taxes, Chicora Wood was the only plantation Adele was able to retain ownership of. When Adele Allston and her daughter Elizabeth returned to Chicora Wood after the war, they found the house in shambles. Federal officers had told the former slaves the Allstons would not be returning and the slaves could take over the house and remove its contents (6, p. 339) (8, pp. 329, 506).

1869  Adele Allston, with the help of her daughter and a cousin in New York, was able to gather the funding to repair the house and purchase supplies to begin planting again (6, p. 339).

1896  Adele Petigru Allston died and the plantation had to be sold to settle debts of her estate. Daughter Elizabeth "Bessie" Waites Allston Pringle was able to purchase it (6, p. 339) (8, p. 506).

1921  Elizabeth "Bessie" Waites Allston Pringle passed away and the plantation became part of her estate (6, p. 340).

Notes

South Carolina Plantations extends a special thanks to Mr. Jamie W. Constance for his invaluable assistance verifying and contributing to the information on this page and for being a faithful guardian of Chicora Wood.